THE 'INNOCENT' CHEATERS?

The last 62 years of independence, India has seen it all. There have been famines, floods, scams, pogroms, terrorist attacks and million other issues. Some were natures' wrath and others just exposed the country's petty politics, poor security and sheer bad governance.

The common man is evidently troubled, saddened and depressed by such incidents/issues. But there is a saviour, an institution which supports and works for the common man. In times of Netas and the Babus becoming 'Corruption Champions', an average Indian has got a companion. The only thing that provides hope and comfort- the Judiciary.

But then, one should not get carried away. Just like so many flicks who promise to get massive collections but ultimately manage to get just yawns from the viewer, so is the case with our Judiciary. Pardon the filmy introduction, our judiciary has its share of problems. There have been cases galore where the accused and their liars sorry lawyers (especially high profile) have made a mockery of it. We have got used to delayed verdicts to such an extent that we no longer believe in the idiom "justice delayed is justice denied". This fact is proved time and again by the media when it goes berserk, if a judgment is passed after 15-17 years. I am not against punishing a culprit but I am exasperated by the time it takes. And because of the long period, the whole purpose of 'Justice' is defeated.

The history has such cases galore. One of them, that I personally just cannot understand is- A terrorist attacks the Indian Parliament, is convicted and sentenced to death but 8 years later is still alive! Mera Bhaarat Mahaan...

But this blog is not about the snail-paced Indian Judiciary, its about an incident that happened many years ago, a unique case because it was the first and the last case of its kind in India. In spite of its interesting characteristics, it seems we Indians have forgotten it. Although I agree that in a civilised society there is no point in holding grudges against the other. In some cases we have to and should move on and forget the unfortunate event(s), but certainly there are exceptions.

For instance, it is good that the people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have forgotten Raj Thackerays' antics and everybody is living in peace again. No marathi is after North-Indians' life and vice-versa now. Its good that we forget such incidents, otherwise the nonsense this country has gone through- we either would have been divided by now or a civil war would have engulfed the country.

So, going back to the earlier point that I made regarding the unique incident that we have forgotten, let us read the following lines and refresh our memory:


Once upon a time there were two sportsmen who made records,
were loved by millions and were earning billions.

They simply wanted much more cash,
And started cheating to indulge in more ash.

They shamelessly fixed matches and earned more money,
didn't care about the nation, to hell with the country.

The people were naive, for whom they were god,
they kept worshiping them unaware of their fraud.

They won medals and trophies earned more fame,
their conscience was dead, they fixed game after game.

But one fine day, while they were making hay,
their luck ran out, the law had raised some doubts.

A probe was ordered, investigations had begun,
YES! they were guilty had no where to run.

Their careers were over, a nation's pride had been gutted,
and now the duo realised, what blunder they had committed.

But nearly a decade down the line we have forgotten everything. Some have become 'official advisers' for the game and others are again ready to 'serve' the nation but in the garb of a politician.

Every few months they can be seen happily talking about the very game they betrayed and they are addressed as former captain/player. That is it? Come on, these guys achieved better things in life than that. They were not only captain/player but also MATCH-FIXERS.

They proudly give their 'valuable' advice on various chat shows and I am forced to recall whether these were the same guys who cheated the nation and played with the emotions of millions.

It is a indeed their audacity to behave in such a manner otherwise such people have no right to talk about the game they betrayed even in their dreams let alone on TV.

It is high time that we change the lines of our beloved song from "Ae mere watan ke logo...jo shaheed hue hain unki zara yaad karo kurbaani" to "AE MERE WATAN KE LOGO JO AMEER HUE (DHOKHE SE) UNKI ZARA YAAD RAKHO BEIMAANI".

A GREAT SPIRITUAL SUBSTITUTE

Democracy means freedom. Freedom to think, speak and express. The last couple of decades have proved that it is one of the better options if not the best. Every citizen has equal rights and duties. But sadly everybody is ready to fight for his rights but no one cares about the duties.

In a democracy each and every citizen has a moral responsibility towards his country and countrymen. For starters nobody has the right to hurt a fellow citizen-physically or emotionally. So, a 94-year old celebrated artist paints nude pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses, it cannot be justified.

After being 'forced' out of the country by the Hindus, he was residing in Qatar for the last couple of years. So, finally M.F. Hussain accepted the Qatari citizenship. What followed were silent protests and noisy debates. But we all know that such issues are ephemeral.

As religion is deeply rooted in almost all Indians and it will be a foolhardy on anybody's part to think that Mr. Hussain would be ignorant of this reality. This is definitely not creative freedom. In a democracy if a handful of people's sentiments are hurt, it has to be condemned and we are talking about millions here. I am not holding a flag for the Hindus of India but the painter should have eschewed from such antics.

There will be some who may argue that in a country where more than half of the population goes to bed without a proper meal, these issues are frivolous but then Mr. Husain's becoming a Qatar citizen isn't a life changing moment for them. Neither our economy will crash nor will there be a tsunami. Furthermore, freedom of art doesn't allow anyone to hurt others feelings or ridicule his beliefs. Even freedom has its limit and there should be no ambiguity about it. The Indian constitution in Article 19(1A) recognises certain restrictions on freedom of expression in the interest of decency, morality and public order.

So, amidst this pandemonium, a great piece of news caught my attention and I was truly elated! His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be included in the next Indian census. A spiritual leader of a religion which preaches peace and non-violence, Dalai Lama is an inspiration for many. Living in exile for more than 50 years, he definitely deserves a respectable life. Moreover, the red dragon is hell bent on taking over Tibet, which is inevitable. So, being a secular country it becomes the duty of India to support his holiness. The good news for those who are mourning the egress of Mr. Husain is that they should take heart from the fact that they are getting The Dalai Lama in return. As the say, when a window closes a door opens.

P.S. Its good for Mr. Hussain that he settled in Qatar because seriously he would not have relished driving his 8 crore Bugatti Veyron supercar on Indian roads.